How to Write 氙 (xiān) — Meaning “xenon”

Imagine a mountain (山) releasing a strange invisible gas (气) — that gas is xenon. The sound "xiān" can remind you of "see-an" as you see a mountain glowing with xenon light.

First write the 气 radical with four strokes: a left-falling stroke, then two horizontal strokes, and finally a hook that curves right and up. Then add 山 inside the hook area, making sure the middle vertical stroke of 山 aligns with the center of the whole character.

氙 (xenon) has 山 on the right, 氖 (neon) has 乃 (nǎi) on the right, and 氕 (protium) has a simple slash 丿. They all share the 气 radical meaning gas, but each represents a different chemical element with a distinct pronunciation and right-side component.

氙 appears mainly in scientific and technical terms like 氙气 (xenon gas) and 氙灯 (xenon lamp). Xenon lamps are famous in car headlights and projectors for their bright, white light, so you might see 氙灯 on car specifications or in lighting discussions.

Common words containing 氙 include: 氙气 (xiān qì) — xenon gas; 氙灯 (xiān dēng) — xenon lamp; 氙气灯 (xiān qì dēng) — xenon lamp.